The present invention relates to an image processing device such as a digital copying machine that conducts specified processing of image information read from an original by a scanning portion or image information transmitted over a communication channel from the outside and outputs a processed image by a printer portion.
Recently, the spread of digital data processing apparatuses such as personal computers, digital camera and portable information terminals using the digital technology has been accelerating globally. In the market for copying machines, many manufacturers are offering digital copying machines that can digitally process original images and output digital image information to meet an increasing demand of users for devices realizing easy reproduction and high-quality printing of photographs and originals without deterioration of the initial image quality.
The market circumstance stimulates manufactures to put on the market multifunctional digital copying machines that have facsimile and printer functions allowing multiple access.
However, the digital copying machines are expensive as compared with conventional analog copying machines because the digital machines must electrically read an original image and process the read image in the form of electronic data.
Namely, the digital copying machine is a combination of expensive components such as a reading device for electrically reading an original image, an image processing device for processing the electrically read image as electronic data and an optical scanning type recording device (e.g., a laser scanner) and so on. Therefore the further spread of the digital copying machines (e.g., a replace from the conventional analog machines or a increase of the digital machines) now slows down.
The image-processing portion in particular is very expensive and increases a total cost of the digital copying machine.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-82768 discloses an image processing device which is capable of high-speed processing of high-resolution image data by using a printer control section composed of a print head control portion having a first CPU for modulating beams in accordance with image data, an electrophotographic control portion having a second CPU for controlling an electrophotographic process to reproduce an image on paper, an interface control portion having a third CPU for syncronizing the operation of the printer-head control portion with the operation of the electrophotographic control portion.
The publication describes a method whereby an image forming device has a plurality of control units used for control of respective working portions of the device and is provided with a specific timing control portion for assuring synchronous operations of the control units.
The technical content of the above Publication consists in that image-processing portion for conducting processing of an image according to image data from an image forming portion is constructed as a single control unit.
To supply a variety of the digital copying machines, it is therefore necessary to prepare specific control boards depending upon the specifications of the goods. This may burden users with an increased initial cost of the goods and manufactures with time and cost of development. The need for additional control for synchronizing the respective processing portions is also a problem in costs.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a variety of digital copying machines from an inexpensive standard type copying machine capable of producing high-quality copies to a high-grade digital copying machine provided with a variety of functions, which are developed on a basis of a digital copying machine having minimum necessary functions, which can be modified with separate options of components for specific digital image processing functions to satisfy all the market demands and users"" needs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital copying machines that can be modified by adding options whenever user requests.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device which comprises an image information inputting means for inputting image information as a first level image, a first image-processing means for conducting specified processing of he image information inputted as the first level image, a second image-processing means for receiving the image information processed by the first image-processing means and conducting specified processing of the image information as a different second level image and an image-information reproducing means for reproducing an image from the image information processed by the first image-processing means or the second image-processing means and is featured in that the first image-processing means and the second image-processing means are formed separately from each other in the circuit configuration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the first image-processing portion is provided with an image-writing control portion for control of image information writing by the image-reproducing means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the first image-processing portion is provided with a central processing unit for control of the first image-processing portion and the second image-processing portion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the image information inputted from the image-information inputting means and processed by the first image-processing means is multivalued-image information and the image information processed by the second image-processing means is binary image information.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the second image-processing means is further provided with an input portion for receiving an image transmitted from a facsimile and/or a printer and the facsimile image or the printed image inputted through the input portion is processed as a binary image.